Good Morning Sunshine – DIY Mugs

Recently I got the chance to play around with the NEW PaintedbyMe Markers and Mugs by I Love To Create {available in select Jo-Ann stores and online starting today!} And no doubt about it – I’m in LOVE! No really – paired together, they make for amazing DIY gifts that anyone can make in the comfort of their own home!

With a little pinch of creativity and time, I was able to design AND gift a one-of-a-kind mug that was not only custom for my receiver BUT it was the perfect excuse to bring some “sunshine” their way too! Best part? It was pretty inexpensive to pull together AND the design on my finished mug does NOT wash away like some other DIY projects you may have tried/seen before. Not to mention – used together and baked, these mugs are microwave, dishwasher and FDA-approved safe. It’s like buying a pretty pre-made mug in a store but YOU are the artist behind it!

Wondering where to begin? Don’t think you have the craft mojo to recreate these yourself? No worries because today’s craft tutorial is super simple {even for the novice!} Just gather the materials listed below and start making some DIY mugs today!

Sunshine Mugs Craft Supplies:

Directions:

* First prep the surface of your mugs. You will want to wash them with dish soap and dry thoroughly with a soft, lint free cloth. It is VERY important that the surface is clean and free of fingerprints.
* Next is the designing part. You can either keep things simple by drawing a one-of-a-kind design {like I did with my sun/cloud theme} or you can grab a few stencils to give a more polished look. There are no real rules or regulations – just have fun adding your customized details! Just be sure to not touch the wet areas because it may smudge. ALSO if you do mess up, no worries because you can just wipe it away with a wet rag and try again.
* Once done with your design, be sure to remove your stencil and add any touch-ups you may need.
* Now it’s time to make the design permanent! Place your mug into a cool oven before turning on the heat. Turn oven on to 375 degrees and bake for 40 minutes. Allow ceramic to cool in oven before handling. To avoid cracking when baking, let ceramic heat up and cool down with the oven.
* Once completely cool, remove your piece from the oven and stuff with some goodies & tissue paper. Then gift away to a special friend, family member or even complete stranger!

Super cute, right? And oh so simple! You can even make these mugs in multiples so you will always have a gift on hand. It’s the perfect “ready to gift” idea since EVERYONE can use a pretty mug to wake up to!

Now that I’ve sold you on this DIY idea, I bet you have some questions – right?!

HOW MUCH & WHERE CAN I BUY?

PaintedbyMe is available in select Jo-Ann stores, joann.com and ilovetocreate.com starting TODAY! Individual mugs, 3-sheet stencil packs and markers are each $4.99 at Joann Stores. All products will be sold online at joann.com and ilovetocreate.com but the mugs will be sold in sets of 6 online.

HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT FROM SHARPIE AND/OR PEBEO MUGS?

When the PaintedbyMe markers and PaintedbyMe mugs are used together and baked, they are FDA-approved food safe. Many markers previously used for mug painting have not been considered food safe. Also, PaintedbyMe markers can simply be wiped off with Windex or soapy water if you make a mistake prior to baking. They are totally goof proof!

ARE THESE MUGS DISHWASHER SAFE?

Yes. They are food, microwave, and dishwasher safe. They withstand multiple washings once baked.

Does that answer your questions? You can also find more PaintedbyMe information, along with tons of holiday & celebration inspiration on their webpage.

So what are you waiting for? Run {don’t walk} and grab a set so you can start making your own customized pieces today! Happy crafting {and gifting} my friends!!!